Hose-supporter.



No. 684,8l4.

Patented Oct. 22, |901. M. B. HAMMOND.

.HOSE SUPPORTER.

l(Appljcxszion filed Jan. 18, 1901. 1

(No Model.)

f QQVMAQ INVENTOR WITNESSES TME mams PETERS co., PMOTQUTHO., wASHxNGToN. u. cA

NTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MYRON B. HAMMOND, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

HOSE-SUPPORTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 684,814, dated October 22, 1901. Application filed January 18, 1901. Serial No. 43,753. (No model.)

T0 all whom, t may concern.:

Be it known that I, MYRON B. HAMMOND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hose-Supporters; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain improvements in garment-supporters, but more particularly has reference to that class of such devices in which a flexible pad is suspended at or about the lower frontportion of the corset by means of a strap passed around the waist of the wearer. In devices of this description the garment-supporters proper depend from the lower portion of the iiexible pad, and the pull or strain on the supporters 1s supposed to keep the pad pressed snugly against the abdomen of the wearer. Quite a number of devices of this general description have heretofore been patented; but they can all be divided into two classes, one of which comprises supporters in which the pad is provided with a metallic fixture at its upper edge and by means of this iixture is attached to and suspended from the corset itself, while the other class comprises supporters in which the iexible pad is held in position by` means of a strap encircling lthe waist of the wearer. Myimprovement belongs to the second class of these inventions, and it aims to overcome the disadvantages that are incident to the use of a single pad, while at the same time I also aim to provide a pad which shall always tit the abdomen snugly and without wrinkling and in which the equalization of strains is fully provided for.

The accompanying drawing, which forms a part of this application, is an elevation showing my improved garment-supporter.

Heretofore a device of this nature has been constructed in which a solid flexible pad has been utilized 2 ""jsecured by means of a strap around the of the wearer, and to the bottom edge of this flexible pad four hosesupporting straps have been connected, two of which are capable of sustaining strain in vertical lines, while the othertwo diverge and therefore pull in planes which tend to' meet at a common center. This construction accomplishes the end aimed at most admirably, and the arrangement of hose supporting straps and the distribution of strains are such that the pad will fit snugly against the abdomen without any wrinkling whatever; but I aim to construct a very economical device in which the pad element is such that I am enabled to employ only two hose-supporting straps, while at the same time the pad will lie snugly against the abdomen, and such provision is made for the equalization of strains that there can be no wrinkling whatever of the pad.

Instead of making a solid pad I provide two Iiexible sections l 2, whose inner edges are separated, preferably, by a triangularshaped space 3, having its apex at the top and its base at the bottom, and these two sections are joined together only at the top and bottom by non-elastic pieces of tape 4 5, which tapes constitute flexible connections. The upper edges of these sections l 2, as joined together in the manner above described, present a concave appearance, which insures a perfect fit against the abdomen, and to the upper extremities are respectively secured the strap Gand buckle 7, whereby the device is secured in position around the waist of the wearer. These sections 1 2 taper from the top toward the bottom and are perfectly free at their outer lateral edges, having no connection with straps, bands, or similar appliances, and to the bottom edges of these sections are respectively secured non-elastic straps 8 9, from the lower ends of which latter depend the usual elastic hose-supporters l0 1l.

There is no novelty whatever in the construction and arrangement of the hose-supporters proper, nor do I claim any improvement due to the fact that the straps 8 9 are non-elastic, and although I prefer that such straps should be non-elastic, nevertheless they may be composed of elastic webbing, if desired.

Vhen my improvement is secured in position for wear, the connections 4 5 will allow the sections l 2 to bow outwardly or spread, so as to adapt themselves snugly to the shape of the abdomen, and the strain on the individual straps 8 9 will not cause the sections to Wrinkle, since the hinge connections et 5 permit each of these sections to have independent vertical play, and t-he sections are perfectly free to conform readily in these respects, since they have no connections or attachments along their outer lateral edges.

When my improvement is in use, the action of the wearer during walking or any sort of exercise will effect the application of a pulling force upon the pad-sections alternately, and then again this pulling force will be alternately relaxed, but my pad will not thereby become distorted or wrinkled, because each section thereof is capable of independent movements, due to the hinge connections between them and to the fact that they are separated by the space 3, and because they are perfectly free of any connections along their outer lateral edges.

Another very material advantage of my improvement is that the metallic loop and stud which constitute the usual corset-steel fastenings will project within the space 3, and therefore cannot in any way interfere with the pad or wear away or tear the latter, whereas in the instance of a single pad said fastenings will invariably tear through the pad and cause the same to become distorted and wrinkled to the great discomfort of the wearer.

If the outer lateral edges of the pad-sections extended straight downward substantially parallel with the inner lateral edges and free of any connections, then the advantages of my improvement would still be apparent, owing to the hinge connections at the top and bottom between the sections l 2 and to the space 3, although I prefer to make these seotions with a general downward taper, as shown.

I do not wish to be understood as laying any claim whatever to a one-piece flexible pad secured by means of a strap around the person of the wearer and having the stockingsupporting members depending therefrom, since such a device is not new, and, moreover, my present invention is intended as an improvement on such construction.

lVhat I do claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A hose-supporter comprising two tlexible abdominal front pad-sections joined together by flexible connections at the top and bottom only, and separated by a free space, the upper edges of these sections presenting a concave appearance, the strap and buckle secured to the upper outer ends of said sections, while the outer lateral edges are free of any connections, and the two hose-supporting straps secured respectively to the lower ends of said sections, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MYRON B. HAMMOND.

VitneSScS:

F. W. SMITH, J r., M. T. LONGDEN. 

